The Accident
by matthewsbj
Summary: COMPLETE! Seth is left unconscious after a car accident. How will Sandy and Kirsten react when Ryan calls them to tell them? Will Ryan's new family unravel before his eyes? Epilogue has been posted.
1. The Accident

I'm thinking this story takes place sometime during season 2. Ryan is a little more confident is his place within the Cohen household, trusting Sandy and Kirsten a little more, although his insecurities at time seem to surface.

* * *

Sandy's cell phone rings, and he sees Ryan's number on the display. He answers it, a little perturbed that neither he nor Seth has been answering their phones. "Ryan, what's been going on back there?! I've been calling you for the last 20 minutes!"

Ryan replies, a little guiltily, "Oh, sorry, Sandy. We must have had our phones set on vibrate and we didn't hear them ring. Um, Sandy…"

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Sandy cuts Ryan off to tell him the reason he was so eager to talk to them. "Oh, ok. Well, we heard about an accident behind us and we pulled off at exit #9; there's a roadside stop there. When you get up here, pull off and we'll regroup. Do you know if you're in front of or behind the accident?"

Ryan hesitates momentarily. He really doesn't know how to say this. Finally, he quietly says, "Um, Sandy, we kind of were the accident."

Sandy had stepped out of the car to stretch his legs, and to call the boys again. When Sandy hears that his kids were in an accident, his heart skips a beat. He straightens his posture, and even while still sitting in the car, Kirsten can tell something's up by the change in her husband's posture. Stepping out of the car, she moves closer to Sandy, takes his hand and asks quietly, "What's wrong with the boys?"

Sandy squeezes her hand, but doesn't answer her question; forging ahead to get more information from Ryan. "Are you alright?"

Ryan was quick to respond, "Yeah, I'm fine. But…" Again, Ryan was cut off by Sandy.

"Ryan!" Sandy knows Ryan at times downplays his injuries and has to force the kid to admit when he's in pain. He hates to raise his voice at Ryan, especially when he can plainly tell that he's a little shaken up, but he needs the kid to be honest about the injuries he may have.

Ryan finally responds, hesitantly, "Sorry. I think I banged up my arm a little bit. But…"

Again, Sandy interrupts Ryan. "Ok, better. Where are you guys? Kirsten and I are getting in the car right now. We're going to come and meet up with you."

Ryan had wanted to tell Sandy this bit of news for the last 5 minutes, but now that the time had come, he didn't know how to tell him. The growing silence on the phone, however, tells him that he has to tell Sandy something. "Ah, we're sort of in, um, an ambulance."

Sandy's stomach starts to get very queasy; something doesn't sound quite right. "Ryan, why are you in an ambulance if your arms just hurt?" Suddenly, realization hits Sandy and knocks the wind out of him. "Ryan, where's Seth? Let me talk to him."

Ryan took a deep breath; he hoped the nightmares wouldn't come true. This was always something that he feared: Seth would be hurt badly, he would be relatively fine, but the damage would be done and he would be forced to leave. However, he's going to have to tell him something and let the chips fall where they may.

Kirsten can only hear one side of the conversation, despite straining to hear Ryan's side. She does however know her husband, and she knows something is terribly wrong. She squeezes his hand and asks, "Sandy, what's wrong with my boys?!"

Sandy can hear a definite shake in the boy's voice as Ryan answers him. "Sandy, that's kind of the problem. Seth's unconscious."

Sandy literally feels the wind being knocked out of him again at the news that one of his sons isn't awake after an accident. His face must have lost all of its color, because Kirsten becomes all the more urgent to hear something. "Sandy, how bad is it?"

Sandy takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as he takes the mouth piece away from his mouth to pass the news along to Kirsten. "Ryan's arm is hurt, and Seth is unconscious. They are in an ambulance on the way to the hospital." He can tell he's gone into lawyer mode and pretty much running on automatic as a part of him listens to himself explain the situation somewhat calmly to his wife.

Kirsten takes a sharp intake of breath and covers her mouth with her free hand and she whispers something quiet under her breath.

Ryan is eager for some reaction or acknowledgement or something from someone. "Sandy…?"

"Give me a second, kid." Sandy is still trying to catch his breath and figure out what to do.

"Sandy, I am so sorry! I just don't know what to do." Sandy is taken aback by how young and vulnerable Ryan sounds over the phone. As afraid as he is for Seth, he suddenly realizes that he has another son who needs him almost as much.

That knowledge helps to bring Sandy back to reality: his son needs him! "Alright, kid, everything is going to be ok. This is what you're going to do. You're going to stay with your brother for as long as you can. You're going to listen to the medical staff, in the ambulance and at the hospital. Oh, and the police may want to get your statement about the accident, but…"

Ryan for once cuts Sandy off, "I know, don't say anything until you get here." Ryan heard Sandy tell him to stay with "his brother"; not your friend, or my one son, or anything like that. He was amazed at the relief brought by those two words. He suddenly realizes that he had been holding Seth's hand during the ride to the hospital, not knowing what else to do for his friend—no, his brother. He squeezes it a little bit, even for silent affirmation of that new bond that he is so eager to have.

Sandy smiled at Ryan's quick response. "Good boy. Now, what hospital are they taking you guys to?"

"Hold on, let me check." Moving the phone away from his mouth, Ryan turns towards one of the paramedics. "Hey, it's my dad. He wants to know what hospital we're going to."

The paramedic monitoring Seth tells him, "We're heading to HOAG. We should be there in about 15 minutes. Your parents, of course, will want to go to Emergency when they get there."

Ryan brings the phone back to his mouth, "Sandy, we're about 15 minutes away from HOAG."

Sandy fights the sting in his eyes, knowing that his sons were going to the hospital with somewhat major injuries and he wasn't going to be able to be there right away for them. "Alright, kid. We're on our way. We're getting in the car and we will be there as soon as possible. Everything's going to be ok. Oh, and Ryan, we love both you guys." Suddenly, Sandy is very urgent that Ryan know how much he and Kirsten love them.

When Sandy doesn't immediately get a response, he starts to get a little worried. "Ryan…?!"

Ryan's pulled out of whatever trance he had suddenly fallen into. "Sorry, Sandy. What?"

Again, Sandy urgently tells him, "Your mother and I love you, ok?" That is all that matters in the world for those 30 seconds; that Ryan knows that he has parents that love him.

Quietly, Ryan responded, "I know. Thanks, Sandy." Again, some of the tension eases from Ryan with those words of assurance.

Ryan's quiet, yet solid, acknowledgement makes Sandy smile a bit as he and Kirsten move to get back in the car. "All right. Everything's going to be ok."

Suddenly, Ryan reciprocates Sandy's urgency. "Hey, Sandy?"

Sandy stops, one leg still out of the car and gives him his full attention. "Yeah, kid?"

Sandy doesn't have to strain much to hear his next words, "I love you guys, too."

Sandy tries hard to fight the sudden rush of emotion at those words and he grabs Kirsten's hand and squeezes it. He smiles warmly, sure that Ryan can feel his love even over the phone, "We know, kid, but it's still great to hear. We'll be there soon." After hanging up, he pretty much floors it to HOAG to be with his sons.

* * *

I have very little knowledge of the workings of medical personnel, either attached to an ambulance unit or otherwise. I'm sure that I misrepresented something, and for that I apologize.

PLEASE NOTE: The following is not a ploy to receive more reviews. I do have something in mind for the hospital scene. If anyone is interested in it, I might be persuaded, coaxed, and cajoled into developing it into a second chapter.

That being said, please leave reviews to help me improve. Thank you!


	2. At the Hospital

**2/12 - I tweaked this chapter; I noticed that there were some things that I missed. Sorry!**

Again, as posted in the last chapter, I have very little knowledge of medical procedure/policy, so if I portrayed something wrong, please forgive me.

This is a much longer chapter then the first, but I thought there was a lot to cover. I am planning on a short epilogue, of sorts, that will wrap everything up. Hopefully, I will be able to get that posted soon.

* * *

-At the hospital-

This trip to the Emergency Room at HOAG was one of the most excruciating trips Sandy had ever had to endure. The only other time that could have compared was when he and Kirsten were rushing to the hospital in Berkeley when Kirsten was about to go into labor. That time, Sandy knew the ultimate outcome; he was going to become a father, and he was nervous but happy. This time, however, Sandy didn't know what was going on with his kids, and the uncertainty was killing him. He could tell Kirsten was just as upset during the drive.

Kirsten was upset and anxious. She knew all she was doing was twisting her rings; she always did it when she was nervous or upset. She could tell her husband was eager to get to the hospital, as well. Halfway through the drive, she reached over the middle console and took her husband's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was good they had each other. Despite the fact that they were both freaking out on the inside and couldn't get to HOAG soon enough, she knew that together, they could handle anything; including any injuries their children might suffer.

When Kirsten grabbed Sandy's hand, he was startled slightly. He had almost forgotten she was in the car. He was just driving to the hospital in a daze, his mind racing about worse case scenarios and nightmares other parents have to face when their children are raced to the hospital. He remembered just how much he loved this woman sitting next to him. They would be able to strengthen each other and help one another— and their sons— get through this horrible ordeal.

Once they got to HOAG, Sandy couldn't find a parking spot fast enough. He found a spot closest to the Emergency Room, and as soon as he had the car in park, both he and Kirsten were running into the waiting room hand-in-hand.

Coming up to the nurse's desk, Sandy breathlessly spoke to the older woman behind the counter, "I'm Sandy Cohen, and this is my wife Kirsten. Our kids were brought in about 20-40 minutes ago from a car accident: Seth Cohen and Ryan Atwood?"

The nurse responded with a kindly smile, "Ok, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen, let me check on them." She typed some information into the computer in front of her. "All right, Seth was brought in unconscious and it appears that he still is; the doctors are still with him. I'll update the system so they know you're here when they're finished."

As she typed a little more, Kirsten fell into Sandy's arms and started crying a little into his chest. He rubbed her back and tried to comfort her with his touch, his emotions not permitting him to speak at the moment. After a moment or two of drawing strength from each other, Kirsten turned her attention back to the nurse. "Can we see him?" she asked tearfully.

The woman must have been working in the ER for some time and had dealt with many distraught parents. Her brows came together and with a sad smile responded, "I'm sorry, but no. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until the doctors are finished. I'm so sorry."

Kirsten again buried her face into her husband's chest. Sandy mustered enough control to ask, "What about our other son, Ryan Atwood?"

After typing a little bit more, she responded a little bit more positively, "Ok, it looks like he might just have a broken arm. He's slated for a trip to radiology soon. You can see him. He's in ER #10." Pointing to a set of doors right next to her desk, she continued, "Just go through these doors, turn down that hallway, and #10 is directly ahead. You can't miss it."

Sandy sighed in relief, "Thank you!"

She responded, "Oh, you're very welcome. I'll let the doctors know where you are so they can find you when they are done with your other son. I hope everything works out well for both your boys."

At least being able to see Ryan helped to brighten Kirsten's spirits, even marginally. She thanked the woman behind the desk, and both parents made their way to one of their sons.

As the adult Cohens followed the direction of the kindly nurse towards ER #10, they saw Ryan through the curtained off section at the end of the hall. When Kirsten saw her youngest brooding silently and all alone, she couldn't help herself from breaking into a run.

When she finally reached him, she didn't care about any walls he may have had up. She threw her arms around him, and fresh tears started falling. When Kirsten finally let him go, Sandy wrapped his arms around Ryan as best she could. Wiping tears from her eyes, Kirsten asked, "Oh, sweetie, we were so worried. How are you feeling?"

Ryan was actually very glad that Sandy and Kirsten were finally there. He didn't know anything about Seth: where he was, or how he was doing? He couldn't stop himself from fully returning their hugs as best he could with his hurt arm. "I'm fine. Have you heard anything about Seth?" He was just so eager to hear anything about his brother.

Kirsten took his free hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "All we know is that he's still unconscious. The doctors will come find us here when they're finished with him." She put her free hand on her hip and gave him her best Mom-look, "Now, don't think I didn't notice how you tried to change the subject there! How are you feeling? And I want the truth this time, young man!"

Sandy chuckled from the other side of the bed and patted Ryan's shoulder, careful to avoid his hurt arm, "It's no use, kid. The Kirsten's here; you'd better tell her the truth." He continued chuckling a little bit, until his wife shot him a glare that effectively quieted him.

Ryan looked up at Kirsten penitently through his eyelashes. "Sorry. They finally gave me something so that the pain is down to a numbing ache at this point. I'd still rather not to have to be in this bed and be able to see Seth."

While still holding Ryan's hand, she rubbed his arm with her other hand. "Oh, I know, honey. But, remember, none of can see Seth until the doctors are done with him. Besides, he's still unconscious."

She watched as he sullenly nodded his head. She could see him instantly start brooding again. Kirsten suddenly saw Ryan as the young child she never had the privilege to know; the child that was ruined by his past. Her heart broke again for her son. She ran her hand through his hair, and noticed after a few moments that it seemed to have a calming effect on Ryan.

After a moment or two of silence, Ryan looked up at both Sandy and Kirsten and quietly said, "Again, I'm really sorry about what happened…to the car, and to Seth."

Sandy found a couple of chairs along the wall and moved them closer to the bed; one for Kirsten and one on the other side of the bed for himself. Sandy carefully kneaded his shoulder and told him, "Don't worry about it, kid. Why don't you tell us what happened?"

Ryan took a couple of deep breaths before launching into the accident that he is hoping doesn't change his life forever. "Some of it is still a little hazy, but I was driving, the speed limit, by the way, and we were listening to some Journey. Seth must have spaced out; he was just staring out the window and was pretty quiet. It was actually kind of refreshing…" He grimaces at that thought; now willing to give anything to have is brother burst into the room and start a verbal marathon no one could stop.

Kirsten squeezed the hand she was holding and started again running her free hand through his hair. With a soothing voice, she told him, "Its ok, honey, go on."

Ryan took another moment or two to get his emotions under control before continuing, "As we were driving, I noticed a car pull up alongside us in the left-hand lane, and for a moment, I was a little surprised that they didn't pass us. But I didn't think much of it, and went back to the road in front of us and Journey. I think it was only a few minutes later that the other car didn't just veer into our lane, but practically turned right into us. I don't know if they lost control or what, but by the time I knew what was happening, it was too late. We were essentially run off the road. There was a ditch just off the shoulder of the road that we ran into. Seth's side of the car took the brunt of the impact. The next thing I really remember was holding Seth's hand and calling you from the ambulance. Again, I'm really sorry, you guys!"

Kirsten moved to sit on the bed next to Ryan so that she was facing him. "Oh, sweetie, don't worry about it. We're just glad that you weren't hurt any worse. What happened to Seth was not your fault."

"Your mother's right. If anything, it's the fault of the other driver." Sandy's face got very grave and his voice dark, "And you can be sure that I'm going to be looking into this. There will be action taken against the other driver, if warranted."

Ryan liked the sound of Sandy's 'your mother' when referring to Kirsten, but he wasn't quite ready to admit it…yet. "Sandy, you don't have to…"

Sandy cut him off right away. "No, Ryan. This isn't something that's up for discussion. No one runs my kids off the road."

Kirsten smiled and looked from Ryan to Sandy. "Honey, you'd better listen to your father. Especially, when he is in lawyer mode." While she was sitting on Ryan's bed, still trying to calm him, a woman walked in through the curtains, whom they could only guess was a nurse.

When she saw Sandy and Kirsten, she said, "Oh, good. Mom and Dad, I assume?" When they both nodded, she continued, "Great. My name is Bev; I'm one of the nurses assigned to your son here. I'm actually glad you're here. Ryan is scheduled to make a trip down to radiology in just a few minutes. We're going to need to get him out of those clothes and into this gown. I have three teenagers myself, and so I can understand how some might feel a little bit more comfortable with their parents helping them change rather than a complete stranger. Why don't I give you a few minutes to help him change and then we'll see about getting those x-rays taken care of?" With that she stepped out and closed the curtains.

After she left, Kirsten and Sandy looked at each other and then looked at Ryan with amused expressions. After a few minutes of them just staring at him, he couldn't take it anymore. "What?" After another beat or two, he furrowed his brow a bit as he admitted, "Ok, she's right. I wanted to wait until you guys got here to help me change."

Sandy couldn't help but chuckle as he, as he said, "Oh, it's not so much that, kid, as it is we just seem to have noticed that the nurse just about twice referred to us as your parents, and you didn't correct her." He ran his hand over the top of Ryan's head and lowered his voice, as though to share a secret with just the three of them, and his smile deepened. "And I heard what you called me in the ambulance."

Ryan never did like to talk about his feelings, but his relief they were there and the medication were conspiring against him from keeping his mouth shut. "Maybe it's this stupid medication that's giving me diarrhea of the mouth, but there are times when… Well, when I wish that was the truth." He lowered his gaze to the curtains of the sectioned off little room to avoid their looks of pity, which he was sure they were giving him.

Sandy tried to get the kid to look at him. "Ryan…" When he didn't look right away, his voice got a little more authoritative, but still kind, "Ryan, look at me." Ryan just tried to give him one of his side-ways glances, but when he made eye contact with Sandy, he had to give him his full attention. There was something in Sandy's eyes that made him want to hear what he was going to say, and to believe it. Sandy softly told him, "Ryan, so do we."

That wasn't exactly the reaction Ryan was expecting. Come to think of it, he wasn't exactly sure what he expected from such an admission. The medication must have dulled his thinking a little bit, because it took him a few moments to fully comprehend what Sandy meant.

Ryan looked between both Sandy and Kirsten, "Wait a minute… You guys want to adopt me?"

Ryan hadn't noticed until now, but ever since he admitted that he wished they were is real parents, tears were slipping down her cheeks again. She chucked through her tears, "Oh, sweetie, we sure would." She cupped his check, "We understand that you already have a set of parents, but nothing would make his happier then to be able to shout from the rooftops that you, Ryan, are our son."

Sandy picked up from his wife, "She's right, kid. You're already our son in our minds and hearts, and nothing is going to change that, but we would love to make it legally permanent." Sandy could tell Ryan was having a hard time verbalizing his thoughts and any questions he might have. "Now, you don't have to decide right this minute."

Indicating the hospital room, Kirsten interjected, "We realize there are more important things to worry about right now."

Sandy continued, "Take some time to think about, and to ask us questions. The three, or four of us, if you want, can sit down and talk about it some more. I know one of the best family lawyers in Orange County that we can talk to and ask questions."

Ryan was finally able to find his voice, "How would it happen? How long do you think it would take?"

Sandy mulled over his answer for a moment. "Well, again family law isn't my area, so I may not have all the answers right now. But, from the few adoptions I've been involved with in getting unfortunate kids into better homes, I can tell you this: first, we'll probably have to get Frank and Dawn to transfer their parental rights to us. A judge may not be so concerned with Frank, since he's still in jail for a while. Dawn may be a little bit trickier. We can try to, first, get her to voluntarily sign over her rights. If she doesn't, we can get a court order. We shouldn't have a problem convincing a judge that this is what you want and that it's in your best interests." He took a deep breath before continuing, "As for how long it might take, that's kind of hard to say. Similar cases that I've seen have run somewhere from between three and six weeks."

Kirsten squeezed Ryan's hand that she was holding, "But, honey, regardless of how long it takes or what is involved, if this is what you want, it will happen. And, if you decide you don't want to pursue it at this time, it won't change how we feel about you. You will always be our son, and we will always love you."

All Ryan could seem to do was nod. He felt overwhelmed with feelings towards these two people who have really been the only parents he's ever had, and are now expressing a deep desire to be true parents. Permanently, no less. He definitely had some things to think about. He attempted to change the subject for now. "Well, we better get me changed, before Nurse Ratchet comes back."

Kirsten's eyes went wide at the obvious barb towards the kindly woman they just met. "Ryan!" she lightly chided.

"What?! She's mean, and I don't like her. She wouldn't tell me anything about Seth."

Sandy tagged in, "Well, that's still no excuse for you to be rude and mean back. Let's get you changed, and then while you're down getting your x-rays, I'll see if I can't get some update about him before you get back."

With that, Sandy and Kirsten worked together to help Ryan get his clothes off and into the gown. It only took them a couple of minutes and a few missteps before Ryan was laying glumly back in the bed. He hated this situation even more. Now, not only didn't he know what was going on with his brother, not only was in a hospital bed, not only did his arm ache, but now he had to lay here in this flimsy gown that really left much to be desired. The only highlight of this whole ordeal was the conversation Sandy and Kirsten had had with him about their wanting to adopt him.

After they got Ryan changed, Sandy stepped out to flag down Nurse Bev to let her know that Ryan was ready. A minute later, he stepped back inside the curtained off area followed by the nurse and an orderly. She introduced them, "Ryan, this is Paul. He's going to drive you down to get your x-rays, ok? It should talk about 30-45 minutes, and then we'll come back here and meet back up with your parents, ok?"

He nodded his acceptance. He wasn't in much a talking mood anymore. This was one of the parts about his previous visits to the hospital that he really didn't like. But before Paul rolled him away, Sandy leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, Ryan. We'll be right here waiting for you. I love you, kid." He looked him in the eyes to make sure Ryan really heard him. He placed a kiss on Ryan's forehead and smiled when he noticed a slight reddening on the tips of his son's ears.

Kirsten also wanted to reassure her son, "Honey, everything's going to be ok. You'll be back before you know it. I love you so much." She then kissed him on his cheek, only to increase the flush to his face.

Finally, they both moved out of the way to allow Paul to roll their son away. They moved closer together after he was gone and Kirsten fell into her husband's embrace. After garnering strength from each other for a few minutes, Sandy begrudgingly drew apart from his wife so that he could go find some information about Seth.

True to Nurse Bev's words, Ryan was relieved to be rolled back from his trip to radiology after only about 35 minutes. He was actually surprised to be happy to have some time where he could think about the conversation he had had with Kirsten and Sandy earlier. As Paul was locking the bed back into place, Bev came in and said, "Well, Ryan, you did very well. We got a couple of pictures of your arm, and they're being developed right now. As soon as the doctor has a chance to look at them, he'll be in to talk to you. Do you have any questions, Ryan?" He shook his head no. Turning to Kirsten and Sandy, she asked them, "Mom, Dad, do you have any questions?"

Before they could say anything, Ryan spoke up. "Actually, they aren't my parents." Concerned, Sandy and Kirsten looked at each other and then turned to Ryan. They thought he was excited about the possible adoption they had talked about earlier. Did they misunderstand something? Looking at them, he continued with a shy smile, "But they will be after about 3-6 weeks."

Kirsten was out of her seat and next to Ryan in a flash. She had an ear-to-ear smile and tears were starting to flow again. "Really? You're serious?"

As Sandy joined them on his other side, Ryan looked between the both of them said a little stronger, "I want you to adopt me. I want people to know that I'm your son."

Sandy had a smile to match his wife's, ran a hand over the top of Ryan's hair, and also had tears running down his cheeks. "Then, that's what will happen. First thing tomorrow morning, I'll contact that lawyer I mentioned and get the ball rolling." Both Kirsten and Sandy leaned over the bad and, as awkwardly as possible, the Cohen adults hugged their son. When they pulled away, they even noticed Ryan had tears running down his face.

After a moment or two of the three of them kind of just staring at each other, they all starting laughing at the situation. Sandy cleared his throat before saying, "Well, I have more good news for you. I found out just a couple of minutes ago that Seth has woken up. The doctors should be finishing up with him in just a couple of minutes and then they'll be in."

At that Nurse Bev spoke up, "Actually, the doctors are finished with him now, and one of them is making up some notes right outside, and then he will be in to give you an update. Another doctor is looking at your x-rays now, and should be in to talk with you in just a couple of minutes."

A few moments later, both doctors stepped through the curtain. When Kirsten saw them, she took Ryan's hand in her right hand, and Sandy's hand in her left. Sandy then placed his free hand on Ryan's shoulder. They knew the only way they were going to get through this situation was together, as a family.

And then the doctors started talking…


	3. Epilogue

Here is the epilogue for The Accident. The italicized portions are flashbacks, just to be clear. Please let me know what you think.

-Epilogue-

As the doctors explained everything about Seth and Ryan, everyone was pleased that there was nothing seriously wrong with either boy. Ryan's arm was broken, but other than the inconvenience of having to deal with a cast for 6-8 weeks, he would be just fine. Seth's right leg was broken and he fractured a couple of ribs. The doctors were still a little unsure about his unconsciousness, however. They assured the Cohen's that they were running every test they knew, and they wanted to keep Seth in the hospital for the next couple of days for observation.

Over the next few months, while things were slowly returning to normal and everyone was healing from this horrible accident, Kirsten couldn't have been more proud of either of her boys. They were there for each other without a word from anyone. But that didn't mean everything was easy. That first night, for instance, was very trying for her.

_Ryan had been released from the ER and they had made their way up to the fourth floor. They were in the waiting room as they moved Seth up to his own room. It had been a stressful day for everyone, but she was glad it was almost over. There were still things to be done and dealt with, but those could be done later. They were allowed to see Seth for a couple of minutes before they started moving him upstairs, but it wasn't long enough. She still wanted to see her eldest son. _

_Ryan was happy that by the time he was able to get changed and discharged, they were upstairs in the waiting room of the floor they were moving Seth to. He was happy that he didn't have to stay in the hospital, but that was about all he was happy about. He was a little cranky because the medication they had given him had made a bit sleepy. It seemed like they had been waiting for hours to see Seth, even though he just saw him briefly just a few minutes ago. He wanted to stay there with Seth, but Kirsten had already told him that she wanted him to go home with Sandy to get some rest. On some level he knew he was somewhat acting like a little kid, repeatedly asking if he could stay, but for some reason he couldn't stop himself._

"_Please? Can't I stay here tonight?" he'd asked for what seemed the twentieth time. Sandy knew his wife was reaching her limit. He could tell she was trying to be patient and understanding with Ryan, but her patience was running out. He could tell by the number of times he saw her silently count to 10, and the heavy sighs whenever he asked; the signs that even Ryan would normally have picked up on, but for some reason he was oblivious to. Sandy knew he needed to get Ryan's attention, and fast, before things got too far out of hand. _

_Sandy came up behind Ryan and gave him a swift swat on his butt. Ryan twirled around, eyes wide with surprise. Sandy raised his eyebrows and pointed a finger at his youngest son, "Now, listen to your mother, or you can expect more of that when we get home!" He had no intention of really hurting the boy, and he wasn't really sure if he would follow through with the threat if Ryan forced his hand, but, well, it was out there now… Once Sandy knew he had Ryan's attention, he cupped his cheek and gave him a brief smile, to let him know that he wasn't really all that upset._

_Kirsten was once again amazed at how her husband seemed to know exactly what their boys, Ryan in particular, needed at any given moment. She could actually feel the energy in the room shift. What was just a moment before charged with energy, was now a little bit calmer. Ryan turned to her, his head bowed and he looked at her through his lashes. He penitently and quietly said, "I'm sorry." At that, she was no longer upset or frustrated. She pulled him into a tight hug._

"_Oh, honey, I know." She smiled to herself as he hugged her back and even turned his head and rested it on her shoulder. After a moment or two, she pulled apart, but kept his hands in hers. "And I know that you want to spend some time with your brother, but do you remember what both your doctors told us?"_

_He sighed, nodded, and reluctantly repeated their instructions, "We need to rest."_

"_That's right. And I think we all know that if you do stay, NO ONE is going to be getting any rest. So, here's the deal: After you see Seth for a little bit, I want you to go home with your father. I've called your prescription in to the pharmacy and you can pick it up on your way home. If you get some rest, and by rest, I mean at least 8 hours of sleep, you and your father can come back up here tomorrow after breakfast. And I need you to make sure that your father actually eats something. He never thinks he's hungry in stressful situations like this, so make sure he eats. And that he gets some sleep, too. Ok?"_

_Ryan knew that she was right about what would happen if he were to stay. And the medication was still making him really tired. He knew he needed to get some sleep soon. He nodded in acceptance, "Ok."_

_She pulled him into another hug. "Good. I love you so much, honey."_

_He rested his head on her shoulder again, and closed his eyes. He thought to himself how nice it was to be held like this by his mother. 'My mother?' he thought. He took a deep breath before speaking, "I love you, too, m-mom."_

_At hearing those precious words, she pulled back to look at him; her face full of love and joy. "Oh, honey. That's the most wonderful thing you've said to me." She cupped his cheek, "And just remember: There are now only two people in this world that I allow to call me Mom." Both Kirsten and Ryan were wiping tears away from their eyes at this point. _

_Sandy had stepped back and allowed mother and son to have their moment. He knew just how important this was to both Kirsten and to Ryan, in their own ways. He smiled at just how much Ryan had come to love this woman who had become his mother. Yes, it had been a stressful day, but he was taking some solace in watching his wife and son unexpectedly bond. _

Kirsten also realized that, despite how horrible this affair was, it seemed to bring the whole family together. Ryan was no longer their only self-less son.

Sandy had been pretty accurate with his initial estimate of 3 to 6 weeks for the adoption. Kirsten was thrilled that Sandy knew so many people in the legal system, particularly where minors were involved. With a couple of well-placed calls explaining the situation, they were able to get a hearing with a judge within 4 weeks of the accident.

Kirsten was especially proud of both her boys during this time. Despite still healing himself, Seth was very determined to make it to any and all hearings to show Ryan that he could, and would, have his back. It had only been less than a month that Seth had been released from the hospital, so he got tired very easily still, but he was determined to be there for his brother, even if just for moral support.

_Ryan never ceased to amaze Kirsten. Despite everything Dawn put him through, he somehow managed to keep it together. He never lost his temper with her or barely raised his voice to her. Even when Dawn had the temerity to show up to the hearing already three sheets to the wind, Ryan did or said nothing to her. _

_She and Seth started out sitting in the gallery. Seth surprised her when, just after the hearing started and Dawn started arguing with the judge and yelling, more like slurring, insults at the Cohen's and the judge finally had her removed, he quietly got up from his seat. He silently moved to stand just behind his brother and to his right; not too close to invade his personal space, but enough to let him know he was there. He simply rested his hand on Ryan's shoulder, and didn't say a word; providing him an anchor, or tether, letting him know that he wasn't alone. Slowly Ryan turned and looked up at Seth, and she was amazed once again as she saw them silently communicating. In just a few seconds, she saw a whole conversation take place between the two boys. It had taken her years of togetherness with Sandy to be able to achieve the silent communication she just witnessed between her sons. _

_It took everything Sandy had not to follow Dawn out of the courtroom and lay her out, but he knew that both Seth and Ryan needed their father at home, not in jail. That didn't stop him from seething, though, because once again Dawn had put Ryan through the emotional ringer. It broke his heart as he just started shutting down when Dawn started lighting in to him. He tried to place his hand on the boys back to calm him, but he was sensing a very strong "don't touch me" vide. He was amazed as he watched Seth come from the gallery to stand just behind his brother and place his hand on his shoulder. And even more amazed that Ryan let him. When he saw them silently communicate with each other… that was it. He couldn't stand on the sidelines anymore. _

_He realized Kirsten decided the same thing as he saw her get up and at the same time both of them came and enveloped both boys into a family hug. Where Seth would have normally made a blithe comment about being crushed by his mother, even he didn't say anything as the cemented their family all the more so. _

_The judge was watching the whole scene; watched as first, brother, then mother and father came to support their own. Normally, with custody and adoption hearings, he wanted to hear from the minor, in their own words why they wanted to be adopted. He would also talk to all members of the adopting family to ensure that the resultant "new" family would be secure. In this case, he didn't need any further testimony from anyone. It was obvious from the outbursts from the biological mother that that living arrangement would not be in Ryan's best interest. It was also obvious by the reaction of the other family members that they already considered him as part of their family, and that he was a very important part of their family. He was ready to make his ruling._

As Sandy finished getting ready for bed, he thought back to that day 6 months ago. Back to the day when his youngest son truly accepted his place in their family. There were times when he had a hard time remembering that they weren't always a family, that they weren't always Ryan's parents. Oh, he knew there were still going to be issues with that part of his life. He doubted if Frank or Dawn would ever present themselves as problems, mostly because he was determined never to let them have anything to do with his son. But he knew that there were residual effects from his life with them that they would have to deal with at some point. But he knew that together, as a family, they would be able to deal with anything that life threw their way.

Thinking about to how close he came to losing both of his sons caused his breath to hitch. However, knowing that both his sons were safe in his home brought a new flood of emotions. He had to take a few minutes to calm his breathing to keep the emotions from making him their stronghold. After regaining his control, he left their bathroom and climbed into bed alongside his wife. As they snuggled against each other, without saying a word, he knew Kirsten felt the same thing. Together… they were unstoppable!


End file.
